2010 CHELTENHAM TIPS FOR THE QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE

The latest edition of our 2010 Cheltenham free tips series is for the 2010 Queen Mother Champion Chase- arguably the biggest race of the 2nd day at the Cheltenham Festival. Much has been made of Master Minded's ability to dominate this one and, though the punters realized the follies of backing favourites to the hilt yesterday, Master Minded continues to cling to his slim 5/6 odds. There are no bookmakers pricing Master Minded at even money. 

Master Minded came third to Well Chief in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham back in November, but I think that was really just a blip in form as it was his first race back and I think he needed that run under his belt. He showed plenty of form in his follow up in mid-February at Newbury. This is one of the finest examples of the top quality jumpers that Paul Nicholls has in his yard and I think it will be a real disappointment for all involved if he doesn't win this one. 
Kalahari King is a solid rival and is priced at around 9/2. He's been able to deal with some tough competition in the past, but I just wonder if he can match Master on his day. He's been beaten by two of the competitors in this race, Forpadydeplasterer and Twist Magic so thats definitely a vote against. Under the right set of circumstances he has a shot, but I'm not in favour of the slim price. 
Twist Magic is quality, but he's lost to Master Minded several times over the course of his career. His stablemate always seems to play second fiddle to him and would probably enjoy the victory here more than most. His 15/2 price isn't bad at all and I could see him gaining traction with punters looking for a spoiler. 
Big Zeb is another one who has pushed Master Minded pretty far but could never take the win. He was also beaten by Twist Magic back in December and he'll need to dig deep for a victory here. I think this one may be just a step too high for him. 
Forpadydeplasterer is sure to get plenty of Irish backing on Saint Patricks Day and I could certainly see why he's proving popular. I like the price and I get the feeling that he just never hit 100% yet this year. He's lightly-raced and is looking to improve and the 10/1 price is about right for me. 
Well Chief comes in at 40/1 while Golden Silver can be backed at 66/1. Oh Crick trades at the same price while Mahogany Blaze brings up the rear at 100/1.